Genetic engineering is the technology of modifying the genes of an organism to bring about change. Scientists have done this in a sense for millennia through selective breeding to increase crops, create cows that would give more milk and so on. Indeed, Jacob did this more than thirty-five hundred years ago (Gen. 30:41-42). However, it has only been in the last 20 years that we have had the technology to actually modify the genetic code of an organism and trade genetic material between life-forms. This goes far beyond selective breeding and obviously brings up a series of ethical questions for the Christian.
Before we examine the ethics of this issue, it might be helpful to examine some of the notable successes of genetic engineering. At one time, diabetics used insulin from cows. It worked but it was not exactly the same as human insulin. Some people had allergic reactions to it. However, scientists have managed to take the gene that creates insulin from a human cell and stick it into the genes of a certain type of bacteria. This bacteria can be easily grown and so a large supply of the much superior human insulin is available to diabetics.
Another triumph for genetic engineering has been production of human growth hormone. At one time, human growth hormone needed to be extracted from the pituitary glands of dead humans. It was expensive and in short supply. Children with growth disorders simply could not get enough of this substance to allow them to grow to an acceptable height.
However, using the same techniques as the human insulin, scientists are now able to use bacteria to grow all the human growth hormone needed. Children no longer need to suffer all the health consequences of a defective pituitary gland.
Clearly there have been a number of developments that have demonstrated the potential of genetic engineering to help mankind. So what are the ethical issues? One that comes immediately to mind is the number of parents who wish to obtain human growth hormone for children who are perfectly healthy. Some parents, for one reason or another, want to have tall children rather than average sized children, and are prepared to use chemicals to add to their height. This is not strictly an ethical issue concerning genetic engineering since some parents might make steroids available to their children to increase athletic strength. However, this ethical issue would not have developed if it was not for genetic engineering making available the human growth hormone.
The issue of genetic screening brings up a number of ethical dilemmas. Using genetic tests, we can detect the presence of genetic abnormalities and potential disease in unborn children and adults. This sounds good until one examines the consequences of such knowledge. If an abnormality is detected in an unborn child, parents are given the option of “terminating the pregnancy,” in other words, killing the helpless unborn.
Completely apart from the ethics of abortion, there are several essential problems with this. First, no test can be 100% certain. Even the parent who thinks it is acceptable to kill an unborn child if the child has some sort of defect, runs the chance of killing a child who is perfectly healthy. A second problem concerns the larger issue. If you are going to kill a child who would be born with Down’s Syndrome, will you also kill a child who might be born with only average height or intelligence? Or perhaps you will do as China does today, and kill female children if you want a male child. Once our society starts down this slippery slope, nothing will stop it until the Lord returns.
What are the potential consequences of genetic screening in adults? Our society has decided that those people who are sick should pay more for life insurance. Now consider what will happen with genetic screening. What if a man is told he will get sick at some time in the future? What if a woman is told she has an increased risk of some disease? Should these people be denied life insurance? Should life insurance companies be forced to insure people who might want to load up on life or disability insurance, knowing they are very likely to become ill? What about the person who does not want to be screened for genetic disease but gets screened anyway, perhaps as a child?
However, the consequences of genetic screening for adults goes far beyond access to life insurance. Should a person who carries a genetic disease, even if that person is not actually sick themselves, be permitted to have children? Should the government enact breeding laws, decree who should be allowed to have children, and indeed, who should be allowed to get married? Should the government be able to force a couple to have an abortion because the State does not want to have the expense of treating a sick child? Should rich people who are able to pay for treatment of their sick child be allowed to have their child while poor people are forced to have abortions? These are terrible issues and yet our society will need to face all of them within the next 20 years. How applicable are the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-2, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
Why have we mentioned genetic screening in an article on genetic engineering? The answer is simple: the two are inseparable. The techniques used in genetic screening are similar to the techniques used in genetic engineering. Furthermore, as genetic screening becomes more advanced and more commonly used, there will be greater calls for genetic engineering.
What ethical issues deal with the actual practice of genetic engineering? At present, scientists perform genetic engineering on a single cell. It is a technically complicated practice that takes a great deal of time. At present, we cannot perform genetic surgery on the billions of cells in plant or animal. So, the genetic surgery is performed on a single cell which is then allowed to grow and develop fully. When genetic surgery is done, most cells do not survive. Some survive but do not thrive. And some survive and thrive. There is no ethical issue when we damage a bacterium.
However, if we believe life begins with conception, there is an ethical issue if we were to damage a fertilized egg. In vitro fertilization involves the fertilization of dozens of eggs, which are then allowed to grow in a test tube for a period of time. Some of the embryos do not survive or thrive, but finally one of the embryos is selected and placed into the mother. The rest of the embryos are either frozen for later use or discarded. This is the unpleasant secret of in vitro fertilization and the same horrifying practice will occur when genetic surgery starts to be practiced on human embryos.
What other ethical issues could occur with genetic engineering? Should a scientist who works hard creating a new invention be allowed to patent it? Of course! Should a scientist who works hard modifying the genetic code of an organism be allowed to patent a living creature? Here the answer is not so obvious. What degree of control does a patent give to the patent holder?
I believe the Tribulation period will see the re-establishment of slavery (Rev. 6:15; 13:16; 18:13; and 19:18). From my youth, I remember reading a science fiction novel that was set in such a society. People would be bred for unpleasant or dangerous tasks with the genetic qualities that would help them. For instance, genetically designed miners would be bred to be short. These people would also be bred with a low IQ to keep them docile and easily controlled. Another science fiction novel predicted the growth of human clones with the brain genetically removed to provide organ transplants. These are horrible concepts but will be technically possible within a generation.
One positive concept in genetic engineering is the idea of whole body gene therapy. If a person has been born with a genetic illness, it may be possible to use a highly modified virus to perform genetic surgery on every cell of the body. This would allow those already born with genetic illness to benefit. At present, genetic manipulation of single cells is easier to perform, but the day may come when people with genetic disease can choose whole body treatment. This would also reduce the amount of embryo surgery with its accompanying destruction of embryos.
One final point must be made about the character of the scientists doing genetic engineering. Our society has a tendency to put scientists on a pedestal. The reality is somewhat different. The character of the scientists doing genetic engineering parallels our society. Some are good, some are bad, some are noble and some are of low moral character. Superior morality, character and wisdom do not come with superior knowledge of science. Scientists doing the research should not be the only people debating whether the research is morally acceptable.